Walker Buehler shares lessons from Dodgers teammates on 'Flippin' Bats'
By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports MLB Analyst
Not only is Walker Buehler absolutely dominant on the mound, but he is also part of one of the best pitching rotations, from top to bottom, in the history of baseball.
This week, I welcomed Buehler to "Flippin' Bats with Ben Verlander," and we discussed being in that rotation and what Buehler has learned from each of his rotation mates.
We started with Clayton Kershaw, one of the best of all time.
As soon as I asked about Kershaw, one thing immediately came to mind for Buehler.
"Kershaw is the guy that taught me how to be a pro," he said.
"I’m not sure how publicized this is, but Kershaw’s routine is certainly something to behold and a special thing in terms of how long he has done it. The time and investment he puts into being who he is is special and is the biggest thing for me."
None of that surprises me about Kershaw. He has always seemed like such a professional, and it was cool to hear a young pitcher talk about him the same way he has always been perceived in the public eye.
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The next guy I asked about is a decorated veteran who has a different relationship with Buehler than most. David Price is an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, just like Buehler.
"The biggest thing about DP was I finally got some backup," Buehler said. "A lot of the guys were tired of hearing about college. Kershaw only allows me to refer to it as ‘pre pro ball.’ I’m only allowed to refer to it as college once a day. So having some backup has been the biggest thing for me."
Hearing Buehler say the best thing about being on the same pitching staff as a Cy Young award winner is Vanderbilt backup cracked me up.
Often in pro ball, guys will bring up their college careers or the success they had in college, and nobody wants to hear it. "Shut the yearbook," you’ll be told if you talk about college.
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Dodgers ace Walker Buehler shares with Ben Verlander one thing he has learned from each member of the Los Angeles rotation.
The next guy we discussed was the latest addition to the Dodgers' rotation, Trevor Bauer, the reigning NL Cy Young award winner.
"The biggest thing I’ve learned from Trevor is his attention to detail," Buehler said.
"I know a lot of people see him as this guy with a whacky routine, with all of the stuff he does with the weighted balls and all of that stuff, and that’s all well and good, but I think the biggest thing is just being able to quantify all these things for himself. Being able to take certain measurements to know where his body is at and trust those numbers more than his feel sometimes.
"Not many guys are like that or have ever been like that in the game of baseball. He does the same things. He just does them in more detail, and watching that and learning that from him has been really cool."
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It was interesting to hear that from someone in the same rotation as Trevor Bauer, who has always been viewed as this quirky and introverted sort of guy.
Hearing that Bauer is extremely meticulous in how he goes about his business certainly isn’t a shocker, but it sounds like he was the perfect guy to bring this rotation another perspective on pitching.
Lastly, I asked Buehler about his current pitching coach, Mark Prior.
Prior took the MLB by storm when he came into the league in 2002. He was considered one of the best pitching prospects in the history of the game, but his career was rather short-lived due to multiple injuries.
I asked Buehler what it’s like having Prior as his coach.
"You know, there’s kind of that aura when you first meet him," he said. "I mean, he’s still Mark Prior, the biggest prospect that ever was. Having him has been awesome, and he’s kind of learning and growing with us as well, with this being his first big-league coaching job."
"It’s just been an awesome staff for him to be able to work with and develop with guys like Julio [Urias] and Tony Gonsolin and myself, honestly. To also have a guy like Clayton Kershaw that he doesn’t have to do a lot with has just been beneficial for all of us."
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It was really cool and eye-opening to talk to Buehler about the pitching rotation he's part of. It seems like they each serve a different role and lift one another up as a result.
The Dodgers' rotation is special, and this week’s guest on "Flippin' Bats" is right in the middle of it and a vital part of the team's success.
To hear the entire interview, check out the full "Flippin' Bats" episode below, as we talk about Buehler's Vanderbilt days, pitching in the World Series, his thoughts when Kevin Cash took out Blake Snell, pitching with the tightest pants ever and much more!
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.